JC rallies for split with Spartans (04/14/03)

PORTLAND — The defense still had its share of difficulties, but Jay County started to put its bats on the ball in the second game of its double-header against Connersville Saturday.

The Patriots were rewarded as they started to find the holes in the Spartans defense, scoring six runs in the final two innings for a 13-11 victory. They dropped the first contest to their Olympic Athletic Conference rival, 9-4.

The second game of the day was a wild one, with the lead changing hands almost every inning. Finally, Connersville grabbed an 11-9 lead heading into the final frame, but Jay County responded.

Leadoff hitter Saffron Redwine drew a leadoff walk, stole second base, and then watched Katie Alberson also draw a walk. Renae Laux reached fist on an error by pitcher Lesley Roberts to load the bases for clean-up hitter Stephanie Imel.

She didn’t do her damage with the bat, but rather let Roberts dig herself a deeper hole as she issued her third walk of the inning to score Redwine. Ashley Cook took care of the rest.

The junior right fielder knocked a two-run single to right field, scoring Alberson and Laux to give the Patriots the lead for good. Imel eventually came around on a single by Felisha Parr to increase the advantage to 13-11.

Playing as the home team in the second game of the twin bill, Connersville had its chance in the bottom of the seventh. But, it had the wind taken out of its sails when Laux turned a double play to erase a leadoff walk.

They managed to get two more runners on with an error and a single, but Laux finished the game when she took care of a ground ball from Heather Moore for the final out.

Jay County coach Harold Towell said he was especially proud of his team for not getting down after repeatedly falling behind the Spartans in the second game.

“We didn’t allow that to happen,” he said. “We battle back and tagged (Roberts) with the loss in the second game.

“Besides the win, which is great, they learned a lot from both games.”

Jay County (1-2) trailed early in the second game thanks to three errors in the first two innings, but a four-run fourth inning turned the tables. A two-run triple from Redwine gave the Patriots a 7-5 lead, putting them on top for the first time all day.

Connersville (3-2) scored once in the third inning and took the lead back with two more runs in the fourth, but Jay County wasn’t about to go down easily. It bounced back with two runs in the sixth inning, pushing ahead for a 9-8 lead.

The back-and-forth struggle continued, as the Spartans scored three runs — two of which were unearned — in the bottom of the sixth for an 11-9 advantage. Two of those runs came on a double from pitcher Lesley Roberts, who was on in relief of Keisha Smith.

But Jay County followed with its rally in the top of the seventh, and hung on in the bottom for its first win of the year.

The Patriots were a regular hitting machine in the second contest, with Cook and Parr each recording three hits. Redwine and Alberson had two hits apiece.

Cook paced the team with three RBIs, and Parr, Redwine and Laux each added two. Redwine and Alberson scored three runs apiece, and Imel finished with two.

“It usually comes around (when you hit the ball), and it did,” said Towell, whose team saw the value of just putting the ball in play. “It helps take care of the defense we don’t have down yet. When you can score 13 runs, it helps cover up some of the lapses we’re having.”

It was those lapses, however, which cost the Patriots the opening contest of the day.

Connersville got each of its first four batters on base to start the game. Julie Hamm walked, Brittnee Pennington knocked a single, Moore was hit by a pitch and Roberts drew another walk.

All four came around to score, stealing five bases in the process and taking advantage of mental errors by the Patriot defense. Jay County never recovered from the difficult start.

The Patriots didn’t score until Connersville had built an 8-0 lead, getting one run in the bottom of the fifth by way of a Parr triple and an RBI single by Nikki Ingram. They scored two more runs in the sixth and one in the seventh, but didn’t have enough to make a serious rally.

Laux was the big hitter in the first game, going 3-for-4 with a run scored. Parr had a pair of hits and scored one run.

Cook took the loss, allowing nine runs on 11 hits in seven innings. She walked four and struck out three.

Myers picked up the game-two victory, allowing 11 runs — six earned — in seven innings. She gave up nine hits while walking four and striking out one.

Roberts was the pitcher of record in both games for Connersville.

She started the first contest and picked up with win by giving up just one earned run in five innings. She allowed six hits and struck out three batters in that game.

Roberts entered the second game in the fifth inning in relief of Smith. She gave up six runs — four earned — on five hits in the final three frames. She struck out five, but was hurt by five walks.

“It felt good to win this (second game),” said Towell. “It would’ve been a long week if we had lost this one.”

Jay County has a couple of days off before traveling to Bellmont Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]